Before you had kids, if you have them, you ran races on any given weekend and always looked for another one to go run. We've all been there. But once you started to expand the family; planning your races became a little more strategic. Once the kids graduated from the stroller, then it almost got a little harder. That is until you started to understand the Kids Run event than most races have.

Before that; you'd warm up or cool down depending on the placement of the race in relation to you own start. So why is the kids run so important? Running can be a singular sport or hobby depending on how you approach it, but it can also be group time and yes, family time. Some of the fastest women and men balance family life with their own serious training. Some do this better than others, or at least they make it look easy. Aside from being a great way to share time with your kids, the fun run stands to encourage participation and competition. Many races that hold fun runs now have finisher medals or ribbons to award the kids; keeping them interested in our beloved sport. That, my friends, will eventually be the future of our running community.

So the next time when you're waiting for your race to start, "soon as this fun run is over"; take a moment to share a little encouragement to the participants. It will mean the world to them.